Effects of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on PUFA levels in red blood cells and plasma

Ostermann, Annika I.; Stork, Lisa; Kutzner, Laura; Kohrs, Heike; Greupner, Theresa; Hahn, Andreas; Schebb, Nils Helge

doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2016.10.005

Cited by 35 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…EPA and DHA) and their oxylipins was demonstrated in different intervention studies. [75][76][77][78][79] Accordingly, in the present study, the changes of the oxylipin levels in the plasma are generally reflected by the changes of the respective precursor fatty acids in the RBCs. As expected, the levels of ALA-derived oxylipins increased in response to the higher dietary intake of ALA.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…The slower and less pronounced rise of ALA-derived oxylipins compared to their precursor fatty acid was not observed for DHA-derived oxylipins compared to the blood cell concentrations of DHA in a similar study. 78,79 A possible explanation is the lower baseline concentration of ALA compared to DHA, which might have led to a more rapid increase and the higher supplemented dose. 77 With regard to oxylipin formation, ALA is mostly discussed as a precursor of LC n3 PUFA; 80 therefore, the biological role of ALA-derived oxylipins is only poorly understood.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of a 12-week high-α-linolenic acid intervention on EPA and DHA concentrations in red blood cells and plasma oxylipin pattern in subjects with a low EPA and DHA status

et al. 2018

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The essential omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n3) can be converted into EPA and DHA. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a high-ALA diet on EPA and DHA levels in red blood cells (RBCs) and their oxylipins in the plasma of subjects with a low EPA and DHA status. Fatty acid concentrations [μg mL] and relative amounts [% of total fatty acids] in the RBCs of 19 healthy men (mean age 26.4 ± 4.6 years) were analyzed by means of GC-FID. Free plasma oxylipin concentrations were determined by LC-MS based targeted metabolomics. Samples were collected and analyzed at baseline (week 0) and after 1 (week 1), 3 (week 3), 6 (week 6), and 12 (week 12) weeks of high dietary ALA intake (14.0 ± 0.45 g day). ALA concentrations significantly (p < 0.001) increased from 1.44 ± 0.10 (week 0) to 4.65 ± 0.22 (week 1), 5.47 ± 0.23 (week 3), 6.25 ± 0.24 (week 6), and 5.80 ± 0.28 (week 12) μg mL. EPA concentrations increased from 6.13 ± 0.51 (week 0) to 7.33 ± 0.33 (week 1), 8.38 ± 0.42 (p = 0.021, week 3), 10.9 ± 0.67 (p < 0.001, week 6), and 11.0 ± 0.64 (p < 0.001, week 12) μg mL. DHA concentrations unexpectedly decreased from 41.0 ± 1.93 (week 0) to 37.0 ± 1.32 (week 1), 36.1 ± 1.37 (week 3), 35.1 ± 1.06 (p = 0.010, week 6), and 30.4 ± 1.09 (p < 0.001, week 12) μg mL. Relative ΣEPA + DHA amounts were unchanged during the intervention (week 0: 4.63 ± 0.19, week 1: 4.67 ± 0.16, week 3: 4.61 ± 0.13, week 6: 4.73 ± 0.15, week 12: 4.52 ± 0.11). ALA- and EPA-derived hydroxy- and dihydroxy-PUFA increased similarly to their PUFA precursors, although in the case of ALA-derived oxylipins, the concentrations increased less rapidly and to a lesser extent compared to the concentrations of their precursor FA. LA-derived oxylipins remained unchanged and arachidonic acid and DHA oxylipin concentrations were not significantly changed. Our results confirm that the intake of ALA is not a sufficient source for the increase of EPA + DHA in subjects on a Western diet. Specifically, a high-ALA diet results in increased EPA and declined DHA concentrations. However, the changes effectively balance each other out so that ΣEPA + DHA in RBCs - which is an established marker for health protective effects of omega-3-PUFA - remains constant. The PUFA levels in RBCs reflect the concentration and its changes in plasma hydroxy- and dihydroxy-PUFA concentrations for ALA and EPA.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a 12-week high-α-linolenic acid intervention on EPA and DHA concentrations in red blood cells and plasma oxylipin pattern in subjects with a low EPA and DHA status

et al. 2018

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“…In the same manner, 240 and 720 mg [71] or 1500 mg [73] of ARA per day did not change DHA/EPA composition. In contrast, it is well known that ARA composition is decreased by DHA/EPA supplementation [75,76]. Interestingly, it is commonly observed that ARA supplementation results in large decreases in LA composition [71][72][73][74].…”

Section: Ara Source By Fermentation Techniquementioning

confidence: 97%

Intake of arachidonic acid-containing lipids in adult humans: dietary surveys and clinical trials

Kawashima

2019

Lipids Health Dis

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Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) have important roles in physiological homeostasis. Numerous studies have provided extensive information about the roles of n-3 LCPUFA, such as docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Arachidonic acid (ARA) is one of the major n-6 LCPUFAs and its biological aspects have been well studied. However, nutritional information for ARA is limited, especially in adult humans. This review presents a framework of dietary ARA intake and the effects of ARA supplementation on LCPUFA metabolism in adult humans, and the nutritional significance of ARA and LCPUFA is discussed.

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“…Although the evidence for retroconversion of DHA to EPA in vitro is clear, much of the earlier evidence for retroconversion of DHA to EPA in vivo was supported through dietary feeding studies where dietary DHA also increases blood or tissue EPA levels [ 14 ], or from oral doses of 13 C-DHA tracers [ 15 ]. In dietary DHA feeding studies an assumption is often made that all increases in EPA are a result of retroconversion [ 14 , 16 ], and these studies estimate that 7–14% of DHA is retroconverted to EPA; however, the source of EPA in such feeding studies cannot be verified to be DHA or a precursor to EPA such as α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3). In the latter case, the desaturation and elongation of ALA may be slowed at EPA such that the turnover of EPA via elongation/desaturation, eicosanoid production or even β-oxidation may be downregulated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retroconversion is a minor contributor to increases in eicosapentaenoic acid following docosahexaenoic acid feeding as determined by compound specific isotope analysis in rat liver

et al. 2017

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Dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) not only increases blood and tissue levels of DHA, but also eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3). It is generally believed that this increase is due to DHA retroconversion to EPA, however, a slower conversion of α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) derived EPA to downstream metabolic products (i.e. slower turnover of EPA) is equally plausible. In this study, 21-day old Long Evans rats were weaned onto an ALA only or DHA + ALA diet for 12 weeks. Afterwards, livers were collected and the natural abundance 13C-enrichment was determined by compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of liver EPA by isotope ratio mass-spectrometry and compared to dietary ALA and DHA 13C-enrichment. Isotopic signatures (per mil, ‰) for liver EPA were not different (p > 0.05) between the ALA only diet (−25.89 ± 0.39 ‰, mean ± SEM) and the DHA + ALA diet (−26.26 ± 0.40 ‰), suggesting the relative contribution from dietary ALA and DHA to liver EPA did not change. However, with DHA feeding estimates of absolute EPA contribution from ALA increased 4.4-fold (147 ± 22 to 788 ± 153 nmol/g) compared to 3.2-fold from DHA (91 ± 14 to 382 ± 13 nmol/g), respectively. In conclusion, CSIA of liver EPA in rats following 12-weeks of dietary DHA suggests that retroconversion of DHA to EPA is a relatively small contributor to increases in EPA, and that this increase in EPA is largely coming from elongation/desaturation of ALA.

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Effects of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on PUFA levels in red blood cells and plasma

Cited by 35 publications

References 31 publications

Effects of a 12-week high-α-linolenic acid intervention on EPA and DHA concentrations in red blood cells and plasma oxylipin pattern in subjects with a low EPA and DHA status

Effects of a 12-week high-α-linolenic acid intervention on EPA and DHA concentrations in red blood cells and plasma oxylipin pattern in subjects with a low EPA and DHA status

Intake of arachidonic acid-containing lipids in adult humans: dietary surveys and clinical trials

Retroconversion is a minor contributor to increases in eicosapentaenoic acid following docosahexaenoic acid feeding as determined by compound specific isotope analysis in rat liver

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